Free Republic

China barely wasted any time after Biden’s botched evacuation of Afghanistan to telegraph to the world that things will be a little different going forward: in a move that could have ramifications for the free passage of both military and commercial vessels in the South China Sea, Chinese authorities said on Sunday they will require a range of vessels “to report their information” when passing through what China sees as its “territorial waters”, starting from September 1, The Hindu reported. Over $5 trillion trade passes through the South China Sea, and numerous US naval vessels cross through contested waters, much...

America’s oceans, coastal waters, and Great Lakes are national treasures, providing beauty and recreation, along with valuable resources that enhance our health, security, and economic prosperity. America’s oceans and coastlines contribute greatly to America’s economy, supporting 154,000 ocean-dependent businesses, $373 billion of economic activity annually, 2.3 million jobs, and $162 billion in wages.Advancing understanding of our oceans and coastlines has been a top priority for President Trump, particularly as it relates to further mapping the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (U.S. EEZ) –an area surrounding the United States that is larger than the areas of all fifty states combined....

he power of the coronavirus pandemic as a potential global “game changer” may be on full display in the South China Sea. China is stepping up its operations in the international waterway while the U.S. Defense department grapples with over 1,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in its ranks. The pandemic began in Wuhan, China and peaked in the Communist country in February. China’s numbers may reek of skepticism but by all accounts, they have seen the worst of the disease. Barring any 2nd wave of COVID-19, the country is slowly returning to normal with their military unscathed and at full...

Weak leadership, poor judgment, a lack of "warfighting toughness" and a litany of errors led to the embarrassing capture and detention by Iran of 10 U.S. sailors in the Persian Gulf in January, according to a Navy investigation released Thursday. Six officers and three enlisted sailors have been disciplined or face disciplinary action. The trouble began even before the sailors left port in Kuwait aboard two 50-foot boats on a short-notice, 300-mile journey to Bahrain. They were delayed, unprepared, poorly supervised and ill-suited for the mission, the report said. At least one sailor had been up all night with boat...

As if poking the Russian bear wasn’t enough, the Obama administration has now chosen to rile the Chinese dragon. In a move meant to project U.S. military power to the Chinese government, American officials announced that U.S. Navy warships will sail directly through a Chinese claimed 12-nautical mile zone in the disputed region of the South China Sea. The contested waters around the Spratly Islands, which China claims as its own sovereign territory, have been the cause of intense controversy. The U.S. has refused to recognize China’s territorial claims and believes the disputed area resides in international waters. Last month,...

James Webb, the outgoing Democratic Senator from Virginia, is sounding the alarm about the next big world crisis taking place in the South China Sea. Naturally, the Obama administration is doing nothing about it in hopes the crisis will go away. Beijing has, in effect, laid sovereign claim to much of the South China Sea, including the Paracel Islands. China is also clashing with the Philippines over the Spratley Islands and with Japan over the Senkaku Islands. China is prepared to back up these claims by establishing a small colony on Woody Island in the Paracels with a military garrison...

Canada’s military has again delayed the opening of a major new Arctic port, a sign the government is struggling to assert sovereignty over a remote resource-rich region. The planned deep water naval facility at Nanisivik – some 3,100 km (1,900 miles) north of Ottawa – is one of the key components of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s “use it or lose it” approach to the Arctic. The port, initially due to open in 2012, will now not be operational until 2018.

A U.N. treaty governing the oceans could clear the way for U.S. oil companies to tap deep oil and gas reserves offshore, which supporters say would bolster America's energy security. But that access might be blocked, because conservatives opposed to the multinational treaty are fighting hard to keep a strong Senate majority from ratifying the pact. When Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice called in January for prompt ratification of the treaty, she gave American oil companies their best hope yet to tap oil and gas reserves lying under thousands of feet of seawater. <snip>.......... In 2003, about 62 percent of...

China has "intensified" monitoring of foreign vessels in areas it considers Chinese waters, but which internationally are regarded as open ocean, reports Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence information service. The effort is part of China's announced goal of extending its sea control further from Chinese shores. The stepped-up surveillance was announced in a 2003 China Maritime Administrative Law Enforcement Bulletin recently published by the State Bureau of Oceanic Administration. The U.S. government last year challenged China's new decree claiming control over a 200-mile economic zone from its coast. The bulletin said its surveillance ships tracked two U.S. Navy vessels that entered...